Rick Scott not just losing the race, but expectations game as well

@MarcACaputo

Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign team thought it had something to brag about last week.

Scott is still losing his reelection bid — but by less than some expected.

That’s according to the campaign’s own survey, which shows Scott loses to former Gov. Charlie Crist by 4 percentage points and trails Sen. Bill Nelson by only 2 points. To Scott’s Washington advisers, who trumpeted the poll last week, it was a sign of progress.

Whoo-hoo! We’re still No. 2!

Bragging about it, however, made little sense to Scott’s Florida supporters.

“I don’t understand this,” said one top Republican, echoing a handful of others. “Why are we telling people we’re losing?”

Here’s why: Scott’s team is playing the expectations game. The message: Scott is narrowing the gap with Crist.

And it’s true. He is and will continue to do so.

Scott has already started spending money on negative ads, bashing Crist a year before the election. It will have an effect. And beyond that, if past major Florida races are any indication, the winner will prevail by just a point, maybe two. The gap will narrow.

But Team Scott didn’t get all the “Scott gains on Crist” headlines it wanted.

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As we have seen opinion surveys are not newsworthy items that would result from months of investigation from hard working reporters but the printing of them is a sign of reporter laziness and overstaffing at a newspaper since the reporters are simply taking press releases and reprinting them in a newspaper with some small edits at times.

Please refrain from including these in our hometown paper as the opinion of 400-500 people is not reflective of our entire state which initially doubted the political novice scott but has been won over by his exemplary fiscal stewardship. This democrat primary voter would prefer more news stories about the horrible condition that the scumbag crist left our state in and the disaster that was his term of office previously so that we may attract more attractive democrat candidates that actually have a chance of winning a statewide election instead of a buffoon who will predictably have his campaign implode as has happened in his past two elections.

I understand Governor Scott is frantically searching for yet another "Golden Parachute"!!! His Air Scott plane is in a slow death spiral. Ask the Lt. Governor for help... Wait "we" don't have one. Mayday,mayday,mayday!!! Where can this Governor bring this plane down safely? I'm guessing he hopes the unemployment website is fixed, by the time he loses his job.

There is more to being a Governor than "fiscal stewardship". Protecting our vulnerable citizens, preserving the environment creating high paying jobs that keep college graduates in the state, and welcoming, not rejecting, diversity are all components of a progressive and forward thinking state. Scott and the republican legislature are none of this. Scott, and the state of Florida, are riding on the coat-tails of a nationwide recovery and claiming his policies are working-what a twist of the facts. Scott bought the governor role, he never earned it, and he will not be able to purchase another four years to continue to take this state back into the dark ages. His election loss can't come too quickly before he does more damage to this once great state.

Well Press,Tell us of the reason this Governor is not 10 points ahead in his "own" polls? See when one conducts an internal poll; they are very, very selective of whom they poll.Even with this "push pull" poll; the Governor is still behind. My theory is this: Falsify this poll, to light a fire under the base!!! Scream we're losing, we need more money!!! Also give Crist voters a false sense of security; so perhaps they won't come to the polls. The smell of desperation? Certainly not an air of victory!!! Oh by the way: Who is "our" Lt. Governor again? I understand it's come down to opening a phone book and randomly asking the person picked; if they want the job!!! LOL

As we have seen there are still some citizens unaware of the job of our governor and want to impose their own job description on the position. The executive branch as with our federal government is charged with enforcing our laws and overseeing various agencies and departments that fall under its jurisdiction making sure that they do not waste taxpayer money and violate laws. He is not charged with looking out for individuals who fall into bad circumstances, addressing the desires of various people obsessed with various owls or trees to make these items priorities over people or to see that every situation is like the animals boarding Noahs ark with one of every variety.

As to those that forgot the scumbag crist lost the republican election for nominee in 2010 and then did not even manage 30% in the general election losing by 20%. We democrat primary voters deserve better than someone who badly loses his own party's primary and then loses by another embarrassing margin in the general election. the democrat primary voters know what will lose in this state and the scumbag crist fits nicely in that category.

Yeah ed that would be great -- if the executive branch actually DID keep its nose where it belonged, rather than acting as a figurehead for whatever Political Flavor of the Day voters put in there. But it doesn't. Scott doesn't. Crist didn't. Bush didn't. Chiles didn't.

So anyway, when you need a break from parody duties, go up to Tally and set those guys straight, why don't you? Tell 'em "ed jenkins" is laying down the law. I'm sure they'll be impressed.